Digital and/or analog manipulations may be performed on source images captured by cameras from scenes to generate processed images for release. The source images contain color values or gray levels recorded on chemical films or digital media with different cameras, different camera settings, and different scenes. Some of the color values or gray levels from different images may correspond to the same figures or objects in reality, but may be different because different cameras and/or different settings may be used in capturing the images from the scenes.
Image processing operations performed on source images may be based on color values or gray levels independent of any particular image, as well as operational parameters with differing value ranges. To determine values for operational parameters, the source images may be sampled; histograms may be constructed from the source images, which may contain relatively limited colors or shades. Thus, guesswork may be made to compensate lack of knowledge for missing colors and shades which could not be determined from image sampling or histogram construction. As a result, image processing operations may be performed with inaccuracy, resulting in undesirable visual effects in generated images.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section. Similarly, issues identified with respect to one or more approaches should not assume to have been recognized in any prior art on the basis of this section, unless otherwise indicated.